Workflow application tools or the event-based automation of repetitive tasks are generally well known. For example, IFTTT (available at https://ifttt.com) and Zapier™ (https://zapier.com) provide user configurable background services for automating workflows by connecting a trigger or condition with an action. The IFTTT regime employs an “if this then that” protocol called a recipe in which each channel (e.g., Facebook™, Linkedin™, Twitter™) has its own triggers and actions. Exemplary triggers (the “this” part of a recipe) may include “I'm tagged in a photo on Facebook” or “I checked in on Foursquare.” Exemplary actions (the “that” part of a Recipe) may include “send me a text message” or “create a status message on Facebook.” Individual data components from a trigger are called ingredients. Exemplary ingredients of an email trigger may include the subject, body, attachment, received date, and the sender's address. After a user configures various recipes for various active channels, the IFTTT service automatically executes the recipes and performs the triggered actions without further user involvement.
In addition, collaborative technologies have changed the way groups of related users (e.g., sales teams) share information about sales opportunities and support other team members. Presently known enterprise social network platforms such as Chatter™, released in June 2010 by Salesforce™ and available at www.salesforce.com, provide users with a feed-based stream of tracked objects such as sales goals, badges, and coaching.
At the same time, software development is evolving away from the client-server model toward network-based processing systems that provide access to data and services via the Internet or other networks. In contrast to traditional systems that host networked applications on dedicated server hardware, a “cloud” computing model allows applications to be provided over the network “as a service” supplied by an infrastructure provider. The infrastructure provider typically abstracts the underlying hardware and other resources used to deliver a customer-developed application so that the customer no longer needs to operate and support dedicated server hardware. The cloud computing model can often provide substantial cost savings to the customer over the life of the application because the customer no longer needs to provide dedicated network infrastructure, electrical and temperature controls, physical security and other logistics in support of dedicated server hardware.
Multi-tenant cloud-based architectures have been developed to improve collaboration, integration, and community-based cooperation within tenant organizations without sacrificing data security. Generally speaking, multi-tenancy refers to a system where a single hardware and software platform simultaneously supports multiple user groups (also referred to as “organizations” or “tenants”) from a common data storage element (also referred to as a “multi-tenant database”). The multi-tenant design provides a number of advantages over conventional server virtualization systems. First, the multi-tenant platform operator can often make improvements to the platform based upon collective information from the entire tenant community. Additionally, because all users in the multi-tenant environment execute applications within a common processing space, it is relatively easy to grant or deny access to specific sets of data for any user within the multi-tenant platform, thereby improving collaboration and integration between applications and the data managed by the various applications. The multi-tenant architecture therefore allows convenient and cost effective sharing of similar application features between multiple sets of users.
Presently known workflow automation tools are adept at implementing simple if/then statements, but are not well suited for more complex recipes. Specifically, presently known tools cannot evaluate compound conditions, execute multiple actions, or cascade recipes within a single work flow process. Work flow automation systems and methods are thus needed which address these shortcomings.